Public Patron Reference Guide

From auto insurance to zoning regulations, this book guides you over hundreds of legal hurdles in understandable language, not legal jargon.

The definitive guide for over 15 years to handling a small claims court case, this 12th California edition shows how to handle a winning case from start to finish, from preparing evidence and lining up persuasive witnesses to making a presentation in court.

Compiled by Nolo's team of attorney-editors and written in our straightforward, plain-English style, this book provides answers to the legal questions that come up every day. Organized by topic, it steers readers clear of legal potholes involving divorce, credit, workplace rights, wills, estate planning, lemon laws, child support, criminal law, patents, copyrights and trademarks, and much more.

Legal Research provides everything you need, laying out easy-to-follow research methods that will help you find the right answers. Find out how to: locate and understand statutes, regulations, and cases make sure your research is 100% up to date, and organize your research results into a memorandum of law for use at school, at work, or in court. Completely updated for the 19th edition, Legal Research shows you how to find statutes, cases, background information, and answers to specific legal questions online.

The criminal justice system is complicated, understand it and your rights Criminal law is full of complex rules and procedures, but this book demystifies them. It explains how the system works, why police, lawyers, and judges do what they do, and what suspects, defendants, and prisoners can expect. It also provides critical information on working with a lawyer. In plain English, The Criminal Law Handbook covers: search and seizure arrest, booking, and bail Miranda rights arraignment plea bargains trials sentencing working with defense attorneys common defenses constitutional rights juvenile court preliminary hearings appeals, and public defenders victims' rights The 15th edition is completely updated, covering the latest in criminal law, including U.S. Supreme Court cases.

Guide for couples ending a marriage by skipping court and using mediation or collaborative divorce.

Working out a fair and realistic custody agreement is often crucial in protecting children's best interests, but it may seem impossible for divorcing parents. This comprehensive guide will show you how to overcome all kinds of obstacles and build a win-win custody agreement that allows everyone--especially your children--to thrive.

Elder Planning uncovers strategies and loopholes for retirement, health care, long-term care, asset protection, investments, taxes, social security, housing, Medicare/Medicaid, estate planning, substitute decision, and more. This book is easy to read and easy to use, making it the indispensable resource for readers protecting themselves, their parents and their heirs.

Examines the pros and cons of filing bankruptcy, possible repercussions, and outlines the differences among various kinds of bankruptcy.

Written both for firsttime applicants and existing recipients of Social Security disability, the book demystifies the program and tells you everything you need to know about qualifying and applying for benefits, maintaining your benefits and appealing the denial of a claim.

Bad credit can damage your chances of qualifying for credit cards or a mortgage and it can even get in the way of renting a home. In this helpful, clear-cut book, personal finance and credit expert Attorney Robin Leonard shows you how to establish a realistic budget, read and understand your credit report and get errors fixed, get and maintain good credit, and more.

From setting rents and screening tenants, to buying insurance and handling evictions, The Landlord's Book of Forms and Agreements has ready-to-use documents and proven guidance for every landlord.

Provides practical and legal information necessary to prepare a rental agreement or lease.

Nolo's Simple Will Book is the all-in-one tool you need to easily write a legally valid will, leave property to family, friends or organizations, name a personal guardian to care for your children, safely leave property to young children, arrange for the payment of debts and taxes, name an executor to handle your affairs, and update your will as needed. It also provides a detailed discussion of estate planning for those who may want more than a will.

It’s a difficult time when a loved one dies. Many people don’t have a clue about what to do and whether or not to hire a lawyer and want some guidance. This book shows how to transfer lots of different kinds of property without probate and without lawyers, saving time and money.

The Complete Book of Wills, Estates, and Trusts has long been the indispensable guide for protecting an estate for loved ones. In this completely revised third edition, updated to cover the latest changes in estate law, attorney Alexander A. Bove, Jr., clearly explains how to use a will to avoid probate and legal complications, how trusts work and how to use trusts to save taxes, how to contest a will and how to avoid a contest, how to settle an estate or make a claim against one, how to establish a durable power of attorney and more.